It's the most wonderful time of the year! Here in LA the brisk weather is finally starting to set in. Street vendors are finally beginning to pull out their hot ciders and hot chocolates.

I love this time of year. Overall, people are a bit more cheerful, a bit more forgiving, and with any luck, a bit kinder. I thought about this recently at a local CVS. We were there to pick up a gallon of milk, and as we walked in, a young boy stood near the front door selling chocolate bars. He was dressed to the nines, in a white button up shirt and slacks, his hair carefully combed.

I'm the kind of person who gets easily annoyed when people ask me for donations or to sign a petition when I just want to get my errands done. We said "no thanks" to the boy and went on our merry way, but something about him lingered with me as I wandered the aisles of the drugstore. Back outside, purchases in hand, I watched a series of people walking in, and each in turn waved the young boy away. Some didn't even answer him, and the sadness on his face was soul-crushing.

"How much have we got?" I asked my husband. We dug around our car cushions and cupholders and finally pulled together a couple of bucks.

It was the best chocolate purchase I have ever made.

random encounters, a Hollywood Edition

It seems that, disguised in a bandanna and dark glasses, Marilyn Monroe and one of her pals stopped at a gas station. Once inside, the attendant explained to her, "I just bet my friend here ten bucks that you're Marilyn Monroe."

Marilyn Monroe's classic sunglasses & bandanna look.

Her friend quickly answered that no she wasn't Marilyn, but but she'd been mistaken for her many times. They were about to drive off, when Marilyn apparently saw in her rear view mirror as the guy paid up the ten dollars to his co-worker. She made her friend stop, called the attendants over, and revealed herself, admonishing the attendant to give back the money.

P.S. Doing a lot of entertaining this holiday season? Don't forget to sign up for The Cocktail Adventure! You will be able to whip up a cocktail or two in no time. It's fun. Maybe a little too fun.

read on for all things about marilyn monroe!

Recently I have been reading through two different lists of books; one is Peter Boxall's 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. The other is the work of a random Reddit user who compiled a list of the most notable or revered books from every country in the world.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Here in LA the brisk weather is finally starting to set in. Compared to my home stomping grounds of Salt Lake City that isn't saying much (tonight SLC is at a brisk 27 degrees while DTLA is closer to 60) but considering the almost blistering heat in recent weeks, it is still a drastic departure. And just in time, because street vendors are beginning to pull out their hot ciders and hot chocolates, which doesn't really make sense if it is 80 degrees out.

Marilyn has perhaps the most famous walk of them all. Her shimmy is so iconic that it stands alone as the opening scene from Niagara. If you haven't seen it yet, it is worth watching. It is called the longest walk in cinematic history -- over 116 feet of film, according to a quick Google search.

But how did she make her hips sway in a way that was worth expending that much film on?

Perhaps the answer can be found in her biography Goddess. A couple of stories are repeated that at first glance could appear to be nothing more than publicity and hype. But from everything I have read about Marilyn, I'd wager they are true.

You never know. That hitchhiker beckoning to you from the side of the road might just be a famous celebrity.

I just finished reading Goddess by Anthony Summers. In it, he relates a story of Marilyn waiting by the side of a road, trying to hitch a ride from an unsuspecting passerby (there had been a mishap with her scheduling that day). But car after car drove by, not realizing they were passing up the opportunity to meet the immortal Marilyn Monroe.

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